꧁ʙᴏʀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜʀᴘʟᴇ꧂

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 29

꧁✧✧✧꧂

"𝕳ey"

Regulus amends his focus from the sparkly decoration to the son of Sol standing before him, inclining his head a touch.

James practically glows at the nod of acknowledgment, tucking it away in the column labelled progress. He was making progress. Weeks ago, in its place, would have been a glare full of hatred and enmity, so yes, whilst it's not the friendly greeting he would receive from the likes of Sirius, Remus or Peter, it's more than enough to satisfy him. And he's not walking away, he stays there on the spot, actually listening to what else James has to say.

"I know you're probably tired of these things, but it'll be nothing like you're used to. More fun, I promise"

Fun. Just like a praised thanks, for Regulus, fun is in short supply, hard to come by. Though, as much as it kills inside to admit it, the time spent outside the other morning tossing around the quaffle and racing after the snitch bordered the capital letters of the word fun.

Sighing lightly, he carefully swishes around the bubbling alcohol Mia had thrusted into his hand when passing earlier, wondering,

"Any idea when the girls will be joining?"

The blinding grin that suddenly stretched from his ear to ear, wrinkled up Regulus' nose slightly, already regretting having asked at all. Especially when he spies spark of mischief growing bigger behind his round frames, like they're way past nods of acknowledgement and trespassing into the dreaded area of teasing.

"Missing Romie too much already?"

"Only as much as you, your precious flower" Regulus replies far too civilly for his liking, to the point his voice sounds foreign to his ears.

James' spell of laughter turns around some of the guests nattering nearby. He doesn't appear to mind too much, eagerly nodding back,

"Plenty then. Not too much longer, I presume. I think the goal was to be just late enough to make a grand entrance"

And a grand entrance, indeed. Within minutes, seconds, almost like silent prayers have been answered, familiar faces, all glamoured up, peep around the corner of the staircase, preparing to plunge into the small ball the Potters are hosting this Winter night. Braver than the rest to take the first step, Marlene Mckinnon comes out of hiding, winking boldly to a blushing Ravenclaw Regulus has seen multiple times in the Library at school.

Next to emerge, Mary Macdonald, looking more than sweet, in the blush pink chiffon dress that floats like a feather at her heels. Sirius and Remus wolf whistle from where they're standing rather close together, earning a pearly white smile from the girl. James might've have joined in, if it not had been his inability to pick his jaw up off the ground. Like a fool, he gapes, the hearts morphed for eyes following, pretty in green, Lily Evan's every move.